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Politics and Government / Re: Worst Political Cartoons
« Last post by Tolpuddle Martyr on Today at 05:33:47 am »
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Politics and Government / Re: Democratic Primaries Thread
« Last post by dpareja on Today at 12:29:15 am »I maintain that it is massively irresponsible to refuse to vote blue because you can't have your preferred candidate. The game sucks, but we have to play it. I don't like it, either.1
As Lawrence O'Donnell noted, the Democratic Party ignores the Left because the Left always votes for them.
It is not an inherently unreasonable position to say, "If you don't support what I have clearly said I want"--whether this is candidate- or policy-based is not relevant--"why should I support what you want?"
And having had it happen twice in my lifetime (though only once when I was old enough to remember) that vote-splitting between two non-conservative parties handed unbridled power to conservatives, and then seeing this used by the less-principled non-conservative party to snag votes away from the more-principled one (because the former has a much larger hard base than the latter), and now seeing that same party quash a clear recommendation by a Parliamentary committee to have a referendum between our current electoral system and a proportional representation system, because that would obviate all their fearmongering that they use to get votes from swing voters... suffice it to say that I really, really sympathize.
(If you look at Canadian federal elections in 2006, 2008 and 2011, the share of the popular vote among parties getting either 5% or electing one member enjoyed by left-wing parties--Liberals, New Democrats, and Greens in the latter two--went from 50.5% in 2006, to 51.8% in 2008, to 53.9% in 2011. But each time the Conservatives got more seats, winning a majority in 2011. Then a bunch of NDP and Green voters went for the Liberals in 2015 because of Justin Trudeau's promise to bring in proportional representation and the realization, once again, that the NDP and Greens can't crack the Liberals' ~18% base... on which he promptly reneged when Parliament didn't recommend the system he wanted, and used the majority those same voters, who voted for him on the promise of proportional representation, had given him to kill any chance at getting proportional representation. Goddammit I despise the Liberal Party, very nearly as much as I despise the Conservative Party.)
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Politics and Government / Re: Democratic Primaries Thread
« Last post by Cloud3514 on Today at 12:14:35 am »I maintain that it is massively irresponsible to refuse to vote blue because you can't have your preferred candidate. The game sucks, but we have to play it. I don't like it, either.1
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Politics and Government / Re: Democratic Primaries Thread
« Last post by dpareja on Today at 12:07:46 am »Speaking for myself, I do believe that Bernie voters owe Biden their vote. Well no, they don't owe Biden, they owe all the people who would die from loss of healthcare, for racism and violence, from potential needless wars like the one Trump almost started with Iran, from rampant climate change etc if Trump gets reelected.
There are perfectly good reasons to be unhappy that Bernie lost, but not voting Biden is voting Trump. I agree that the number of bernie supporters who didn't vote for Clinton is blown out of proportion, but given how tight US politics is even a small group can tilt the balance threw action/inaction.
"Politicians have to earn votes" doesn't apply when Nazis are on the march and the apocalypse is around the corner.
If I were Joe Biden, I'd get on the phone to Lawrence Lessig, make sure he'd accept, and then campaign on putting him on the Supreme Court.
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Politics and Government / Re: Democratic Primaries Thread
« Last post by Skybison on April 08, 2020, 11:50:11 pm »Speaking for myself, I do believe that Bernie voters owe Biden their vote. Well no, they don't owe Biden, they owe all the people who would die from loss of healthcare, for racism and violence, from potential needless wars like the one Trump almost started with Iran, from rampant climate change etc if Trump gets reelected.
There are perfectly good reasons to be unhappy that Bernie lost, but not voting Biden is voting Trump. I agree that the number of bernie supporters who didn't vote for Clinton is blown out of proportion, but given how tight US politics is even a small group can tilt the balance threw action/inaction.
"Politicians have to earn votes" doesn't apply when Nazis are on the march and the apocalypse is around the corner.
There are perfectly good reasons to be unhappy that Bernie lost, but not voting Biden is voting Trump. I agree that the number of bernie supporters who didn't vote for Clinton is blown out of proportion, but given how tight US politics is even a small group can tilt the balance threw action/inaction.
"Politicians have to earn votes" doesn't apply when Nazis are on the march and the apocalypse is around the corner.
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Politics and Government / Re: Democratic Primaries Thread
« Last post by dpareja on April 08, 2020, 11:29:27 pm »The hypocrisy runs rampant among all factions in politics. (Stephen Harper, who as Prime Minister put forward 400-page omnibus budget bills, once criticized Jean Chrétien for his government's 40-page omnibus budget bills.) I wonder how many people in Biden's camp will act like Biden was entitled to Sanders' supporters' votes should he lose:
(emphasis mine)
So if Biden gets no votes from Sanders supporters, according to Biden, this is because he didn't earn them.
Quote from: Joe Biden
And to Bernie’s supporters: I know that I need to earn your votes. And I know that might take time. But I want you to know that I see you, I hear you, and I understand the urgency of this moment. I hope you'll join us. You're more than welcome: You're needed.
(emphasis mine)
So if Biden gets no votes from Sanders supporters, according to Biden, this is because he didn't earn them.
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Politics and Government / Re: Democratic Primaries Thread
« Last post by Cloud3514 on April 08, 2020, 10:23:14 pm »Just wondering, how many people in Clinton's camp blamed Clinton for her loss?
A fair point. I think the hypocrisy is more the problem than anything.
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Society and History / Re: Good Things People Say on the Internet
« Last post by Skybison on April 08, 2020, 10:13:23 pm »Everyone, watch as Peter Jordanssen gives his MAN THOUGHTS to Master Your Universe!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApyNrbisJ_c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApyNrbisJ_c
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Politics and Government / Re: Democratic Primaries Thread
« Last post by niam2023 on April 08, 2020, 09:27:51 pm »I have legit seen dirtbag left folks saying shit like "fucking blacks, they don't know how good they'd have it under a Sanders Presidency. Way to go proving right wing stereotypes!"
At this point, they're just the alt-right with a different paint job.
At this point, they're just the alt-right with a different paint job.
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Politics and Government / Re: Democratic Primaries Thread
« Last post by dpareja on April 08, 2020, 09:20:54 pm »Just wondering, how many people in Clinton's camp blamed Clinton for her loss?